Increased Intracranial Pressure (ICP)

What is increased intracranial pressure (ICP)?

A brain injury or another medical condition can cause growing pressure inside your skull. This dangerous condition is called increased intracranial pressure (ICP) and can lead to a headache. The pressure also further injure your brain or spinal cord.

This kind of headache is an emergency and requires immediate medical attention. The sooner you get help, the more likely you are to recover.

What causes ICP?

Causes of ICP:

Too much cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid around your brain and spinal cord)

Bleeding into the brain

Swelling in the brain

Aneurysm

Blood pooling in some part of the brain

Brain or head injury

Brain tumor

Infections such as encephalitis or meningitis

Hydrocephalus

High blood pressure

Stroke

What are the symptoms of ICP?

These are the most common symptoms of an ICP:

Headache

Blurred vision

Feeling less alert than usual

Vomiting

Changes in your behavior

Weakness or problems with moving or talking

Lack of energy or sleepiness

The symptoms of ICP may look like other conditions or medical problems. Always see your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.

How is ICP diagnosed?

To diagnose ICP, your doctor may do the following:

Medical history and physical exam including a neurological exam to test senses, balance and mental status

Spinal tap (also called lumbar puncture), which measures the pressure of cerebrospinal fluid

Computed tomography (CT) scan, the gold standard imaging test, creates a series of cross-sectional X-ray images of the head and brain

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (used after the initial assessment)uses magnetic fields to detect subtle changes in brain tissue content and can show more detail than X-rays or CT